Mobile Phone Assisted 3D Extra Oral Scanner for Acquiring Dental Digital Models - An Innovative Approach

Abstract

An accurate impression of the edentulous arch is of utmost importance in the rehabilitation of completely edentulous cases. The steps that follow the impression making are highly influenced by the accuracy of the impression. In order to overcome the manual inadequacies and to improve the accuracy, various advancements have been made manually as well as digitally. Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD / CAM)is one such digital advancement, which primarily aims at scanning the edentulous arches, followed by subsequent designing of the dentures and processing through various methods such as milling or 3d printing. A major drawback of using CAD / CAM technology is its high cost. Photogrammetry, as a proof of concept, works on the principle of obtaining reliable information about physical objects through the process of recording, measuring and interpreting photographic images. Recently photogrammetry has been gaining interest in the field of dentistry. It can be used as a more cost-effective alternative for diagnosis, treatment planning and fabrication of surgical guides and in maxillofacial prosthetics. In the current article, a novel 360-degree mobile phone scanner was devised which rotates around the object and takes images in order to compute a 3d image, which can be further used for treatment planning and fabrication of dentures.